Full tuition at BU and UPitt, 2/3 tuition at Emory

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hi everyone. I am a student planning to double major in English and Biology, though I'm also very interested in psychology, neurobiology, and writing, so all of those are a bit subject to change. I'm shaky about career goals right now - I would like a job where I get to have long term relationships with people, whether they are students, patients, or lab workers. I love to learn and teach and would love to go into academia, secondary education, medicine, journalism, or research. I am leaning toward going to graduate or medical school, though nothing is 100%. Sorry for being so broad.</p>

<p>I have received nearly all of my college offers and have narrowed it down to the three which offered the best aid. I received a 2/3 tuition scholarship at Emory which includes me in a program with about 100 other students where we get priority class registration and housing with other minor benefits. I must keep a 3.4 to continue having the scholarship. UPitt offered me full tuition and I may receive the chancellor's scholarship, which includes room and board as well as a special seminar once a week - I will hear sometime in April. I am already in the honors college which allows me to dorm with other honors students and take honors classes. I only need a 3.0 for this. Boston University gave me a full tuition Trustee scholarship along with a handful of students, and we meet once a week to hear lectures/visit museums/etc. I am also in the Honors College which gives dorming together and requires I take some small, interesting-sounding classes with other honors students. It's the first year this honors college is being piloted. I must maintain a 3.5 to keep the scholarship.</p>

<p>I qualify for very little need-based aid, but my EFC is far more than my parents can pay per year. Thus if I attend Emory I will have a tiny bit of money left over for grad school, but it's so small that I'll need to get fully funded, which I fear won't be likely if I go into psychology, the humanities, or medicine. BU is only 3k more a year than UPitt unless I get room and board, and either leaves a large enough amount of money they I could reasonably take out loans for the rest. I like all of the colleges for different reasons - Emory is warm and has smaller classes, but it is far away, leaves almost no money for grad school, and I fear I won't be intelligent enough to keep a 3.4 there. I completely loved Pitt's honors college and like the city, but I prefer Boston as a city and feel like Boston might provide more opportunities for research/studying English/meeting new people. I love BU's diversity, the city, and the great opportunities of the scholarship and honors college, but am worried I won't be able to maintain the 3.5 or that the administration will be unpleasant. </p>

<p>I am leaning right now toward BU unless I get the room and board at Pitt in which case the decision will become even harder. If I go to BU or Emory I will probably retake General Chemistry (I took AP) to try to ensure I keep the GPA up, though I don't really want to repeat calculus AB or Biology as well if I can avoid it. </p>

<p>Thank you for any help or advice you can provide given my situation!</p>

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<p>You’re in great shape!! Why not choose BU, since you already like it, and you aren’t sure about keeping up the 3.4. This is a fantastic problem.</p>

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<p>^ BU actually has a higher GPA requirement than Emory (3.5). If this is really that difficult to pick then I would head to Pitt. Lower cost and a lower GPA requirement (3.0).</p>

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<p>In this situation, I would choose Emory.</p>

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<p>UPitt…save your money for possible med school.</p>

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<p>If you go to grad school in the humanities/socsci, common advice is that if you aren’t fully funded, don’t go–you’ll just end up un/underemployed.</p>

<p>Med school is a different matter.</p>

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<p>I can only really evaluate the schools you propose, not your financial scenario.</p>

<p>Emory is an excellent school, academically with excellent quality of life. Pittsburgh is a fine school, as well.</p>

<p>B.U. is not as collegiate experience–a redundant complaint. No real campus, a bunch of cement buildings between the “T” and the River. The spectrum of academic seriousness is all over the spectrum at B.U. But I certainly understand the lure of “no debt,” especially because medicine is not going to be a hugely helpful path to repaying debt, given managed care and decreasing reimbursements to physicians.</p>

<p>I wish you all the best in your decision.</p>

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<p>If money is no object, Emory. </p>

<p>With money factored in, Pitt (especially if you get the Chancellor’s Scholarship).</p>

<p>BU is a great school (though very urban, more so than Pitt, it’s not for everyone) but it is known for grade deflation and the 3.5 requirement may put your finances at risk.</p>

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<p>Academically, Emory is superior to the other two, not to mention Emory has a top-notch Psych program. BUT, Emory is located in a residential section of town, and the “city” ain’t that convenient. It’s social life would be much, much different than the other two. Also, academic competition at Emory would be tougher, so A’s would be harder to achieve – and A’s are needed for premed.</p>

<p>Take the full ride.</p>

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<p>Thank you for your input and advice, everyone! Several people mentioned the college experience and this is a slight fear of mine, but I get to take extremely small classes (capped at 18 students) through BU’s honors program and also meet weekly with the small group of students who had my scholarship, so that makes it a little more close-knit. I can choose to share a dorm with the twenty other scholarship recipients or with the students in the honors college (leaning toward the latter).</p>

<p>I do know Emory is more prestigious, but I question how much that prestige would help me in grad/med admissions if I got a worse GPA than I would at BU or Pitt. Also, I do hear about grade deflation at BU but (I hope this does not sound arrogant) I am hoping that, because I have taken most of the pre-med classes other than physics and orgo at AP level already and because I received good grades at a strong (though not magnet or private) high school and plan to major in the humanities, I might find the GPA requirement a little more bearable or the curves a bit easier.</p>

<p>I feel like BU has the most diversity of the three and yes, I am one who loves the city and the convenience. I don’t have a car and doubt I will get one in the next 4 years. I’m a happy pedestrian, haha. :)</p>

<p>@Keilexandra - I’ve heard that about humanities grad, but I’ve also heard that the prestige of the grad school matters very highly in ensuring a job. So with money left over to pay for grad school I thought I could possibly accept a more prestigious school where I was not fully funded in, or I could have some money left over to pay for somewhere to live and help support a family. My college funds are in a 529, but still get a good chunk of the money back if I never spend it on grad or med.</p>

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<p>It will not. However, recs from Emory profs, who are leaders in the field, might help. Also, since Emory has a gazillion dollar endowment, it might offer more opportunities for research. But as a BU scholar, you will be well positioned to capitalize on whatever they offer.</p>

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<p>you are getting 2/3 scholarship from Emory. that is an extremely difficult thing to accomplish. I would personally go with Emory but if you absolutely, positively need that full ride, I would go to Pitt over BU.</p>

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<p>These threads are dated but:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/emory-university/195557-emory-has-grade-inflation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/emory-university/195557-emory-has-grade-inflation.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/199512-nytimes-boston-university-grade-deflation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/199512-nytimes-boston-university-grade-deflation.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Re: humanities grad school–the “more prestigious” schools are the ones that will fund you. Or so I have heard.</p>

<p>I’m a bit confused as to why you’re worried about getting high grades at Emory but not at BU. The difference in rigor probably won’t make up half a point of GPA.</p>

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<p>Thanks again for the advice, especially the links from quakerstake. That’s important to keep in mind. About grad school - I’m not 100% sure. The people I know who pursued PhDs described getting into lower-tier schools (they were Art History, psychology, and biology doctoral students) but turning them down to pay more to go to schools more prestigious in their fields. Most schools will fund you if they want you in science, but in humanities only if they really want you, so it’s very hard to get fully funded by a very good school. Regardless, if I do go to grad school I will probably make a lower income, so having the extra money might help even if I don’t end up with debt.</p>

<p>The full ride means I could get out of med school with average loans instead of ridiculous loans, so unless Emory offers oppuritunities astronomically different than BU or Pitt does, I am probably going to go with one of the other two to leave the option open. It does help to hear what you are each saying about Emory, Pitt, and BU though! You’re all right that the GPA is by far my biggest concern</p>

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<p>Out of curiousity, what are your stats?</p>

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<p>At the moment I have a 3.9 UW, ranked 9/310 (got a B in an unweighted computer class freshman year. my grades have risen to straight As in the past two years), 2300 SAT. I have never gotten less than a 4 on an AP test and have taken 10 AP classes total. My school would be described as a good public school, and although most students go to state flagships or less expensive state schools, all of my friends who got scholarships like this did very well at their colleges, so I think our school prepares us well for college-level work. I have taken all pre-med classes except for physics and orgo. I am planning to retake chemistry to help my GPA and because, while I did well in it, I had to put a lot of effort in to do so, and I think another year will give me more strength in it. </p>

<p>One important thing to keep in mind with BU and Emory is that it honestly seems very hard to get into med school or a strong grad school without an extremely high GPA, so if I can’t maintain that GPA, I don’t belong in those fields. Unfortunately, finding out I don’t belong and losing 40k scholarship would be a bad thing, haha. So I’m intimidated, but I need to be performing at that level regardless. So I probably should just fight my intimidation and accept not having a safety net.</p>

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<p>I realize that this is down the road for you after you finish undergrad (and congratulations on your wonderful options), but if you are interested in Ph.D. programs in the humanities, do not go anywhere unless you get funding (a fellowship or teaching assistantship). Choose the institution that gives you the funding. That is the sign that they value you and will invest in your career. If you pay for your Ph.D., even at a “top” school, you are being used as a cash cow for the fellowship holders, who will get the most support and the best job offers.</p>

<p>If you cannot get a fellowship or teaching assistantship for a Ph.D. in the humanities, do not go to graduate school in these areas. Find something else to do.</p>

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<p>Achieving a 3.5 or higher in college is not the same as achieving a 3.5 or higher in high school. </p>

<p>I feel your decision should come down to Pitt vs Emory. The fact that Boston’s gpa requirement is 3.5 is a tough situation. What difference will it make if you’re in a city you love, or want to explore, if you’re forced to crack the books and make sure you keep up with the gpa requirement? Also have you visited BU? I’ve read that BU is similar to NYU in that there is no central campus. Buildings are scattered, which might make less for a “college experience” than expected.</p>

<p>If I were you, I’d look strongly at Emory. I’m not sure if there is grade inflation, but the fact that you’d eventually come out with a degree from such a reputable institution should open doors for you(that is if you later don’t decide to go to grad school).
If you plan on grad school, and know for a fact you will pursue this, Pitt might be the better financial choice.</p>

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<p>^ the above poster is very wise indeed.</p>